Friday, May 24, 2013
The ban will go into effect in one year.
The Somerville Board of Aldermen Thursday night voted to ban the use of polystyrene takeout food containers. The ban will take effect in one year, according to the ordinance passed Thursday. The ordinance prohibits the use of single-use disposable food service containers made from expanded polystyrene — often called styrofoam — and it will affect things like coffee cups, plates and hinged food trays. The ban does not affect packages for uncooked foods, such as trays for meat, eggs and other groceries. The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously for the ban, despite opposition from some in the food service industry, including Dunkin' Donuts. As part of the ordinance, the city's director of environment and sustainability will create a list of "…
Friday, March 15, 2013
Some members of the Somerville Board of Aldermen want to examine the economic impact of the proposed ban.
The Somerville Board of Aldermen is gathering more information before making a decision about a proposed ban on polystyrene takeout food containers, according to Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz. Gewirtz, who chairs the Board's legislative matters committee, said some on the committee, which met Wednesday, had questions about the economic impact of the proposed ban on local businesses. She spoke Thursday night at the Board of Aldermen meeting. Gewirtz felt switching from polystyrene cups to an alternative cup might not cost businesses a fortune. "Maybe it's a consumer cost of two extra cents per cup," she said. The proposed ban would also affect the Somerville public school system, which uses about 885,000 polystyrene trays a year, …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Somerville aldermen grilled representatives from Dunkin' Donuts and the Dart Container Corporation at a hearing about a proposed ban on polystyrene takeout food containers.
Representatives from Dunkin' Donuts, the Dart Container Corporation and the Plastics Foodservice Packaging Group, among others, spoke out Wednesday night to opposed a proposed ban on polystyrene takeout food containers in Somerville. Meanwhile, several aldermen, residents, and representatives from groups such as Somerville Climate Action and 350 Massachusetts spoke in favor of the ban, while a few members of the local business community seemed skeptical about the proposal. At a public hearing before the Board of Aldermen's legislative matters committee, Dunkin' Donuts argued it's been "working hard" to find a replacement for polystyrene—commonly known as Styrofoam—cups, but hasn't found one yet, according to Christine Riley, director of …
Gregg Hayward
9:50 pm on Friday, May 24, 2013
Food grade styrofoam has no recycling market, so recycling this stuff is currently not an option. Going higher up on the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle spectrum, and avoiding its use (Reduce) is the way to go here. Way to go Somerville! more ›